Cooking up 13 burning questions for Thanksgiving Day football in Western Massachusetts

Turners Falls running back Ryan Wilder is within reach of rushing for 2,000 yards this season. (The Republican file photo)

Forget the 12 days of Christmas.

It’s the 13 games of Thanksgiving.

The Western Mass. high school football schedule includes 13 games Thursday, with two playoff berths and a pair of league championships still up for grabs.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will release its official playoff pairings Friday morning. The tournament starts with doubleheaders in all four divisions on Tuesday and concludes with Super Bowls on Dec. 1.

So with 13 games, here are 13 questions that should be answered by early afternoon Thursday

1. Will Zach be back? Greenfield coach Mike Kuchieski said the availability of his standout quarterback Zach Bartak (injuries) will be “game-time decision.” Bartak has rushed for 1,026 yards and has passed for 1,1130. He has accounted for 28 touchdowns for the Green Wave (8-1), who host Turners Falls (8-2) at 10:30 a.m.

2. Will it be a prolonged Hurricane season? Amherst (5-3) can qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but the road is tough. The Hurricanes need to beat Northampton on Thursday, and have West Springfield, Chicopee, Greenfield, Palmer and Athol all win. And that would only be enough to tie Commerce for the fourth spot in the Division II power ratings. The first two tiebreaker formulas – head-to-head and common opponents – will not solve the deadlock. The deciding factor then would be a coin flip.

3. From 0-4 to a league title and the playoffs? Chicopee Comp continues to rally from an 0-4 start, taking a five-game winning streak into Thursday’s home game with South Hadley. A win gives the Colts a share of the Suburban League title and a trip to the Division I playoffs.

4. Can Ben Sheehan return to 100-yard land? Minnechaug’s sophomore running back had rushed for more than 100 yards against every Western Mass. opponent, until Longmeadow held him to 60 (on 14 carries) during a 16-12 loss on Nov. 9. The Falcons (7-3) may need every bit of it this week, with Central (9-1) coming into town in hopes of clinching the AA Conference title.

5. Y2K for Agawam QB? It would take a season-high effort of 310 yards against West Springfield (2-7), but Agawam quarterback Michael Vecchiarelli has a chance to throw for 2,000 yards this season – for a 2-8 team, no less.

6. Are Spartans in wrong division? East Longmeadow (5-4) can improve its record to 6-2 against Division I teams with a win over visiting Longmeadow (8-2), but the Division II program will miss the playoffs. The Spartans lost a tough 31-28 decision to South Hadley, in its only game against a Division II opponent.

7. Can Easthampton be grounded? Easthampton (6-4) has two 1,000-plus yard rushers in Shane Andrews (1,269) and Lucious Burrell (1,025).and a Dean Tech defense that allows 40-plus points per game may have its hands full.

8. Undefeated and nothing to prove (on paper)? Belchertown (9-0) hosts Pathfinder (10-0) in a matchup of team who have already clinched league titles and No. 1 seeds in the Divisions III and IV playoffs, respectively. At stake are bragging rights.

9. Since when is 8-2 “quiet”? No one should take Longmeadow, at 8-2, less serious than any other season. The Lancers have quietly put together a four-game winning streak since a late loss to Central and is now prepping for its 16th straight playoff appearance

10. Will Wilder run wild? Turners Falls’ senior running back Ryan Wilder leads Western Mass. in rushing, with 1,682 yards. With at least two games remaining, “average” rushing totals (187 per game) will make him the first Franklin County player to surpass 2,000 in a single season.

11. How healthy is Holyoke? The Purple Knights (2-8) have been banged up all season long. In one game, four freshman replaced 11 starters who were out. Eighteen players who suited up for Week 1 were not in uniform two weeks ago, and Holyoke will need everyone against visiting Chicopee (4-5).

12. Who tough is a 2-8 team? Don’t be fooled by Westfield’s 2-8 record. The Bombers have played five teams – potentially four Division I qualifiers and the reigning Division II Super Bowl champs – to within eight points or less, and have beaten one (Minnechaug). Look for it all to come together against Cathedral.

13. Can Thanksgiving get any better? Just ask Ware coach Rob Slattery, who has overcome life-threatening injuries (September car accident) to lead Ware into its Thanksgiving Eve game at Quaboag. The Indians have qualified for the Division IV playoffs.